


Sacrifices

by Beleriandings



Category: The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-14
Updated: 2015-06-14
Packaged: 2018-04-04 08:46:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 318
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4131448
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Beleriandings/pseuds/Beleriandings
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They would both sacrifice anything to save the other, if they had only had the chance.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sacrifices

Ecthelion clung desperately to the balrog’s boiling skin, hot gouts of water shooting off and searing his hands, his face where his skin met the metal of his armour, waterlogged and weighing him down. But though he could feel it scalding him, he pushed down the compulsion to let go, to let his foe rise up and out of the water. He gritted his teeth, biting down on his tongue and trying not to scream as the creature tried to rip him apart limb from limb with horrifying strength. He could taste blood in his mouth, but all he could think was  _No. I have to keep it away from Laurefindil. It and I will go down into the cold darkness together, but it cannot touch him. I will not let it. Not him_.

With a sudden furious surge of strength, he twisted his body, wriggling from its grasp in the whirling tumult of air and steam and boiling water. He grasped the creature by the arms and with a cry he stabbed upwards with the point of his helm, tipping them both down into the dark depths. 

As his body screamed for air, his grip on the creature’s skin weakening even as he fell, unable to swim for the pain that was breaking over him in waves, his mind flickered to bright gold.  _Safe_ , he thought.  _He will be safe_. 

 

Glorfindel stood braced upon the rock, the tears drying on his cheeks, chilling his face in the wind. His cloak billowing around him as the creature lunged, its eyes like hot coals.  _No_ , he thought.  _Take me, let them survive, let the people of the city get away_. 

It was only when he was in its grip, falling through the shrieking wind surrounded by fire, that he thought, his mind a whirl of smoke,  _it should have been me, not him. Take me, and bring him back_.


End file.
